CAP Volunteer of the Month – October 2021

Kara Hendricks of Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Kara joined the charter class of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd School of law after a career in broadcast journalism. She graduated from Boyd School in 2001 and clerked for Judge James C. Mahan of the United States Southern District Court for the District of Nevada. She is currently a litigation shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP (“GT”), where she focuses her practice on education law, insurance disputes, and complex litigation. Throughout her career, Kara has always dedicated time to helping those in need.

Kara started helping those in need of legal service while attending Boyd School of Law; Boyd strives to promote pro bono and community service. Kara’s law firm, Greenberg Traurig, encouraged Kara to stay involved in pro bono. The law firm began working with Legal Aid Center shortly after opening its Las Vegas office in 2005. Kara indicated that the law firm has always emphasized the importance of pro bono and community service. Greenberg Traurig has several programs encouraging attorneys and professional staff to contribute to community organizations and take on pro bono cases.

Kara steps up, helping children in need, providing them a voice, and standing by their side. In addition to her involvement with the Children’s Attorney Project (CAP), she acts as a mentor and is currently serving on the Advisory Board for the Special Olympics of Nevada.

When asked why she does pro bono work, Kara’s responded by saying that pro bono work is a great way to give back to the community. “As lawyers, we have a unique ability to help people when they are most in need. Sadly access to quality legal representation is unavailable to many. That is why it is important for attorneys to contribute their valuable knowledge and capabilities to pro bono work”. For Kara, representing children as part of the Children’s Attorneys Program (CAP) is rewarding because she can give kids a voice during a time in their life where everything seems chaotic and out of control.

We asked Kara to share a memorable client; she shared the story of her first minor client. She said she met her 10-year-old girl client at a foster home and how she proudly showed off her first award for “Perfect Attendance” at school. Before this placement, she did not attend school regularly and was socially awkward. Kara was able to assist her young client in getting her placed with her maternal grandparents that lived out of state, and she was able to stay in touch with her family. Shortly after the placement, her client opened up regarding prior abuse, and Kara provided support during the criminal proceedings to hold the responsible party accountable. After the case closed, Kara continued receiving updates about her client’s schooling from her adoptive family and saw her graduate from high school.

We are proud to have Kara representing children in Children’s Attorneys Project (CAP) cases. Kara’s selfless and compassionate dedication to children in need makes her the great pro bono attorney she is today. We are pleased to name Kara Hendricks our CAP volunteer of the month. Congratulations, Kara!